Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A former volunteer firefighter already serving state prison time for setting three arson fires has been charged with setting two more blazes, according to papers filed in District Judge Bill Todd’s office. 40-year-old Scott McClain, who police are calling a serial arsonist, set fires at the Eldred Township and Eldred Borough fire halls, as well as a camp in Eldred Township. Now he’s charged with setting two more fires – one to the Eldred Borough ambulance building, and the other to his father’s garage. The fires were set in June and July of 2009.

A former volunteer firefighter will spend three to 10 years in state prison for setting fires at two fire halls. Thirty-nine-year-old Scott McClain of Eldred was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty last month. McClain set fire to a truck at Eldred Township fire hall on August 6, 2009, using a road flare, causing about $300,000 damage to the truck. He also set fire to the Eldred Borough fire hall by lighting toilet paper in a men's room closet. That caused $34,000 damage on October 19, 2009. McClain was also ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution to the township fire department.

Former Eldred Township and Borough firefighter Scott McClain has been charged and jailed in connection with another arson in Eldred Township. State police fire marshals Greg Agosti and Martin Henneman arrested the 39-year-old McClain after completing their investigation of a fire at the Koch Farm House at the end of Carpenter Creek Road off of Stack Hollow Road. The fire happened July 23, 2009. Police say "serial arsonist" McClain took his son to the farm, lit a road flare and put it on the porch of the house. He then dropped his son off at their house and went to the fire hall. When no fire was called in, he returned to the house, picked up his son and drove back to the farm, where he discovered the flare had burned out without catching the house on fire. McClain went back home, got some gasoline, went back to the farm with his son, poured gas on the porch and lit another road flare. He then went home again. “After a while, he told his son to tell his mother that he thought ...

Former Eldred firefighter Scott McClain h as been charged with setting another fire in Eldred Township. Police are now calling him a "serial arsonist." He was arraigned this afternoon and sent to McKean County Jail on $250,000 bail. More details to follow shortly.